Corrimony

Clava Cairn Passage Grave - Inverness-shire

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Although apparently well preserved, the circle surrounding Corrimony is far from intact. The original number of circle stones is unknown, but of the 11 that stand today, at least four are modern additions, and many others have been re-erected, one at the west being a "sandwich" of 3 thin stones. Built on a platform, the cairn is oval, approx. 15.2 x 13.7m, the kerbstones are graded, and the 1952 excavation showed that broken quartz had been distributed around them. A large slab 2.4 x 1.5m lies on the rear slope of the cairn, this stone is heavily cupmarked and may have been the capstone of the chamber. The southwestern passage leads to a 3.7m diameter chamber which originally had a corbelled roof 2.4m high. The chamber was once floored with water-smoothed boulders, below these was yellow sand, and at the centre, an arrangement of flat stone slabs. A bone pin and evidence of a crouched inhumation were found.
Along with Balnuaran, Corrimony is easily accessible, and is a "must see" site for anyone with megalithic interests visiting this region.

*Cairn prevented accurate measurement of diameter. **Only circle stones were tested